Polishing or grinding apparatus which utilize a rotating turntable or platen are of course well known to the art. Furthermore, polishing apparatus are presently commercially available in which holders for samples to be polished are pressed down at a predetermined pressure on a rotating turntable. These holders typically rotate themselves during operation, to provide an automatic, complex motion polishing process for samples.
In the field of microstructural analysis, such automatic polishing or grinding machines are available. For example, the Euromet (T.M.) polishing/grinding apparatus has been sold by Buehler Ltd. of Lake Bluff, Ill. This device is a power head which is pressed against a rotating platen by pneumatic means at predetermined pressure.
In this invention, improvements are provided so that apparatus for grinding or polishing specimens may operate in automated manner, without the need for pneumatic pressure, using simple electromechanical means for providing a predetermined pressure of grinding or polishing to the specimens. Additionally, the time of operation may be automated to provide automatic shutoff, and the rotation rates of the respective grinding parts may be controlled as well.